After years of silently grieving the loss of Richard Swift and Danny Lacy and focusing on supporting other musicians, Jonathan Rado brings his voice—and the voices of his dearly departed friends—to “For Who the Bell Tolls For”. Rado wasn’t planning on turning his musical catharsis into a full album—which is evident in the vast range of sonic variation from song to song—yet he captured the essence of his two beloved friends through comedy, beauty and their love of art. The intention behind “For Who The Bell Tolls For” was an exploration of Rado’s losses and, rather than create a sappy tribute album, he wanted to bring his friends back to life in a way they would have loved. The title track is an anthemic open letter to Swift that surrounds Rado’s complex feelings towards his mentor’s death—layered with trumpets, keys and drums.
The piano melody invokes the vibrancy of Elton John while adding Rado’s productional flair to create a larger-than-life sound. “When you reach the deepest depths / And you take your final steps / You can finally get some rest / Under the ocean,” he sings, hoping for a peaceful afterlife for the acclaimed producer. Yet some of Rado’s remorse creeps in with the line “I was just too blind to see that terrible disease,” he sings as a confession to Swift, who dealt with alcoholism throughout his life.
“Yer Funeral” closes out the album in a wordless eulogy that begins as a simple organ ballad and builds into a grand symphony of memory resurrected through a display of Rado’s multi-instrumental talents. Unsurprisingly, the most melancholic track references Swift writing “Yer Mom” on the side of a barn in a yard sale painting. A silly joke between friends turned into a moving ballad is exactly what Rado hoped to accomplish by bringing his unique perspective to the concept of a classic tribute album. Although he writes some incredibly thoughtful lyrics throughout the album, “Yer Funeral” is the most beautifully painful arrangement on “For Who The Bell Tolls For” altogether. After all, Jonathan Rado’s strength has always been how he expresses himself through his instruments; letting them speak for themselves on the languid seven-minute song feels like a fitting final goodbye to his loved ones. Hemingway also said: “Everything you have is to give,” and Rado gave his friends’ souls one last chance to be a piece of his art from beyond.
The Fat Angel Sings 